


Yo Marry Me Jack Zimmermann

by foryouandbits



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [15]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 23:39:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foryouandbits/pseuds/foryouandbits
Summary: When Bitty asked Jack to be there when he kissed the ice, Jack assumed he would know how this would go: there would be tears and reminiscing. He had no idea how right he was.





	Yo Marry Me Jack Zimmermann

**Author's Note:**

> Man it would be awesome if this were how it actually happened.

"I don't know if I can handle it by myself," said Bitty shortly into a phone call with Jack. It was May twelfth, two days before graduation, and Bitty had had his share of late night breakdowns over the phone about his impending commencement, leaving Jack guilty for frequently being out of town. The Falconers were the defending Stanley Cup Champions; he had a duty to his team and they were still three wins away from making it to the finals.

"I know, Bits," said Jack. "I still miss Faber. I still miss playing there. I know how you feel. You won't be alone, though. Ollie and Wicky will be there with you, right? And you said Lardo's coming out?"

"Yeah…" said Bitty noncommittally. "Listen, I know it's a lot to ask this time of year. I know you're working hard and you've got some tough games coming up, but do you think you could be there? We don't have to go on the roof or anything after, but do you think you could just be at Faber when I'm on the ice?"

Jack looked at his calendar. He had practice in the morning and an away game the day of Bitty's graduation (which was the worst possible outcome of this playoff season. He was hoping for a game literally any other day of the week, but of course he had a game the day of Bitty's graduation. Of course he did.). His evening was clear, though.

"I'll be there, bud," said Jack.

"Oh, honey, thank you!" said Bitty. His entire mood seemed to shift with just one sentence. "I love you so much, thank you."

"I wish we weren't travelling on Saturday."

"Sweetie, that is so not important. You have a game. A playoff game. Being there when I kiss the ice is enough."

"But you worked so hard. This is a big deal, Bits," said Jack.

"Just be there tomorrow," said Bitty. "That's all I care about."

Jack drove up to Samwell after practice the following day. It'd been a while since he was on campus. Playoff season had taken its toll on him and he felt like he never saw or spoke to anyone apart from Bitty and the Falcs. He hadn't stopped by to see the Wellies since the regular season ended. When he parked in front of the Haus, he felt guilty again for how long it had been.

Shitty answered the door when he knocked. Jack only had a moment to be confused before Shitty threw his arms around Jack and pulled him inside the house with a loud shout of "BRAH I MISSED YOU!"

"What the hell are you doing here, Shits?" Jack asked. Shitty continued to cling to him like a small child. Jack closed the door behind him with considerable effort and took slow steps toward the kitchen with Shitty's arms and legs wrapped around him.

"It's Bitty's last night as a Wellie!" said Shitty. "The end of an era, bruh! You think I would miss this?"

Bitty poked his head around the doorway to the kitchen and his face broke out into a wide smile. "Well hello there, sweetpea," he said. "Looks like you gained a little weight since I last saw you."

"Shits, seriously, get off me," said Jack.

"Nah, bruh, just a little more," said Shitty. Jack continued into the kitchen and only when Bitty swatted Shitty away did Shitty finally let go. Jack bent forward and kissed Bitty hello before he saw the mini reunion occurring at the kitchen table: Lardo sat with Ransom and Holster.

"Oh, everyone's here," said Jack.

"End of an era, bro," said Ransom and Holster simultaneously before they fist-bumped.

Jack had been hoping for some time alone with Bitty before they headed over to Faber after sunset, but it appeared from the plethora of people darting in and out of the kitchen that they wouldn't be alone anytime soon. Jack stood with Bitty as he cooked in the kitchen and ate chili with the rest of the team at six o'clock. Dex, Nursey, and Chowder came down first, followed quickly by Ollie and Wicky. The shortage of chairs resulted in Bitty sitting in Jack's lap, which Jack was perfectly okay with.

"Uh, fine," said Lardo as soon as Bitty sat down.

"I would like to remind you, Lardo," said Bitty, gesturing to her with his spoon, "that my first act as captain on this team was to abolish fines for public displays of affection."

Lardo turned to Chowder instead. "Chowder. You're the captain now. This is a fine, is it not?"

"Um," said Chowder with a look to Bitty. Bitty stared back at him. "Um."

"Chowder is not officially captain until I get that degree in my hand," said Bitty.

"And think about who you're talking to here, Lardo," said Dex. "Ever since Bitty abolished the PDA fine, C and Farmer have been making babies on every surface of this Haus."

"We have not!" said Chowder. "Shut up, you're just jealous that my girlfriend will kiss me in public." Dex grew very red and didn't say anything more.

Jack was the first to finish his chili, since Bitty of course fed everyone else before himself, and took advantage of his boyfriend being on his lap by placing his chin on Bitty's shoulder and wrapping his arms around Bitty's waist. Bitty smiled down at him and kissed his temple before he continued eating.

"Ugh, you two are so cute I could barf," said Lardo.

They finished eating dinner at six-thirty and once the last spoonful had been devoured, Bitty hopped off Jack's lap. "Y'all ready?" he asked.

"It's still light out," said Jack, gesturing toward the window.

"No, I want to do it while the sun's still up," said Bitty. "And you have to leave early tomorrow. I don't want to keep you too late."

"Okay, let's not go around breaking traditions because I have a flight in the morning," said Jack.

"Ollie? Wicky? What do you think, should we kiss the ice now or wait until nightfall?" Bitty asked. Jack looked over at Ollie and Wicky, who both shrugged their shoulders.

"I say we do it now," said Ollie. Or Wicky. Jack was still really bad at telling them apart and didn't have Bitty's experience of living in the Haus with them. Though, if he remembered a recent conversation correctly, Bitty didn't quite have it down either.

"Leaves more time to get wasted," said Wicky. Or Ollie. It was probably a good thing Bitty was graduating.

"All right, we're going now," said Bitty.

It was still a little chilly outside, despite being the middle of May, so Bitty headed upstairs for an extra sweater as well as a blanket. When Jack followed him, he startled at the sight of Bitty's room. "Oh, wow," Jack said. The bed and curtains were the only things left undisturbed. Apart from that, all of Bitty's books, posters, and his Georgia flag were packed away in boxes. His three suitcases were packed and overflowing.

"Yeah," said Bitty. "It's really sad. I – this whole thing is hard. You know how it is. Graduating. Moving on. I'm excited to live with you, sweetie, and I'm looking forward to what our future holds, but it's awful. Saying goodbye."

"Bitty," said Jack and he touched Bitty on the lower back. Bitty turned around and wiped at his eyes. Jack pulled him in for a hug. Bitty sniffed and hugged him back for just a moment before he took a sweatshirt out of his suitcase and the extra blanket off his bed.

"Come on," Bitty said. "I don't want to miss it."

"Miss what?" Jack asked.

Bitty didn't reply as he scooted past Jack and out the door. Jack followed.

The walk to Faber was full of familiar chatter. Ransom and Holster ran the whole way with the beer cooler as if the ice would melt if they simply walked it there. Dex, Nursey, and Chowder followed close behind. Ollie and Wicky didn't run, but walked considerably ahead of everyone else, while Lardo and Shitty kept the brisk pace with Bitty and Jack.

"Is Ford coming?" Jack asked.

"She's meeting us there," said Bitty.

When they arrived at Faber, everyone else seemed to have disappeared. Jack frowned; Ransom and Holster left the cooler right in the front entrance as if they had simply vanished from the earth upon entering the arena. "Those fuckers," said Shitty. "Jack, can you help me carry this up to the roof?"

Jack looked at Bitty.

"I promise I won't do anything until you're back," said Bitty. He handed Jack the blanket he carried.

"All right," said Jack. He and Shitty headed up the stairs toward the roof. Shitty kept looking back at him and grinning. Jack furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Nothing, man. Just good to see you. Glad you could make it today."

"I'm missing tomorrow," said Jack. "There's no way I was going to miss this tonight."

They dropped the cooler off on the roof and, since it was a little windy, Jack set the blanket down underneath it. "Man, do you remember when it was our turn?" Shitty asked, looking around at the roof of Faber as if it'd been decades since they had seen it last. "That was the last night before you and Bits got together."

"Yeah, it was," said Jack. He looked over at the wall outside the stairway where he and Bitty had fallen asleep that night. "I gave him my jacket. He was cold. I didn't want him to be cold."

"You were so in love with him," said Shitty.

"I was so in love with him," said Jack fondly. "And I was still such an idiot then. I had no idea."

Jack thought about it while they stood there; they'd awoken the morning of his graduation right there on the roof. He had no idea in just a few hours he would be running across campus to kiss Bitty. He had no idea what that would turn into – the love of his life, his best friend, and the man he wanted to marry. _After playoffs,_ he had decided months ago, when it was clear they were headed to the postseason again. _After playoffs I'm going to ask him._

He wondered if that was supposed to scare him. It didn't.

"Ready?" said Shitty. Jack nodded and they headed back downstairs and to the ice. As soon as they stepped inside, Jack understood why Bitty wanted to do this before sunset. He'd forgotten how beautiful Faber could look in the afternoon. The sun came in through the large window in streaks onto the ice, lighting up the old cinderblock in magical ways. Jack loved the rink in Providence, but it couldn't light a candle to Faber in the daylight.

Jack followed the beams toward the ice and saw that Bitty was out there already, alone, standing on the center faceoff circle. He was looking back at Jack. Jack looked up into the stands. Everyone sat down in the bleachers already, including Ollie and Wicky. Lardo had her phone out and had it pointed at him. In one of the rows, next to Ransom and Holster, Tater had taken a seat.

"Tater?" Jack asked. Tater waved. "What are you doing here?"

Jack was officially confused. He looked back at Shitty.

"I think Bits is waiting for you," said Shitty. Jack looked back toward the ice and Bitty smiled at him. Shitty pushed Jack forward and he began walking again. When he opened the door and stepped onto the ice, he realized for the first time that Bitty was holding something behind his back. Bitty continued to smile, tears shining in his eyes, until Jack stopped just a few feet in front of him.

"What's going on?" Jack asked softly.

Bitty didn't reply, but he held up the sign he had been hiding.

_YO MARRY ME JACK ZIMMERMANN_

"Bitty?" Jack asked breathlessly.

"Will you?" Bitty asked.

"Of course," said Jack. Bitty laughed and tears fell out of his eyes. Jack stepped forward and kissed him to loud applause from the stands. Jack burst into laughter along with Bitty and they looked behind them to all their friends, sitting there in the sunlight and sharing in this moment with them. Bitty held tight onto Jack and pulled him back. Jack looked at his new fiancé with a smile plastered onto his lips; he had never been so in love.

"You planned this," said Jack.

"Yep," said Bitty.

"I had no idea," said Jack. "I was going to ask you after playoffs."

"I wanted to ask you," said Bitty. "This is where we met. I'm about to leave it. I think we owed Faber this moment."

Jack looked around the rink, holding Bitty close to him. They did. They owed Faber a lifetime of gratitude.

"What d'you say?" Bitty asked. He gestured to the circle underneath him. "Do you want to kiss it with me?"

"Yes," said Jack. They both knelt down and pressed their lips to the ice, giving back a little bit of love to the place that had brought them together.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by many things, but specifically [the tweets and this comic written about said tweets](https://mellisart.tumblr.com/post/150014132953/thanks-anon-i-didnt-have-much-time-due-to-job#section2). 
> 
> Come by my [tumblr](http://foryouandbits.tumblr.com/) and say hi!


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